SPRINGFIELD Former Governor Jim Edgar will speak on From History Major
to the Governor’s Mansion at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, April 3, in the University
of Illinois at Springfield’s Studio Theatre. The event is free and open to the
public. Refreshments will be served.

Edgar will chronicle his odyssey into policymaking and politics and address
the importance of a liberal arts education. Edgar’s career in government spans
30 years. He worked in the legislative branch for 10 years, including
election to the Illinois House of Representatives. He also served for 20 years
in the executive branch, including 10 years as secretary of state and eight
years as Illinois’ 38th governor.

Governor Edgar inherited a state teetering on bankruptcy and
restored fiscal stability and integrity to Illinois by downsizing and restructuring
state government. When he entered office in 1991, the state was 1 billion
dollars in debt. When he left office in 1999, the state had a 1.5 billion-dollar
surplus.

When Edgar left, the Chicago Tribune stated that his instincts and motives
were as sound as those of any governor the state has had. A Chicago columnist
stated that his popularity in Illinois was second only to Michael Jordan’s.

Governor Edgar is currently a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Illinois
Institute of Government and Public Affairs and lectures at other colleges and
universities throughout the state. In the fall of 1999 he was a resident
fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Edgar also serves on a variety of corporate and civic boards.

The event is sponsored by the UIS History Club, with help from the Inter-Club
Council Board and Continuing Education.